There was a dark time in Israel, a time that was identified by the people following their own sinful desires rather than following God. It was during the period of Judges where it was written… “there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Without spiritual authority and leadership, Israel drifted away from godly desires. They decided that they wanted a king like the rest of the nations had and demanded that Saul should be their king. Their desire was to follow the world rather than following the true God.
The world’s system is never to be imitated by God’s people. God, who sees into the hearts of all people said they were rejecting Him as their King. But God gave them what they wanted and Saul became their king. It would seem that God gave Israel what they wanted in a king so He could use the negative experiences of Saul to teach them to start wanting what God wants. The key to following God is letting go of the things you are convinced will take care of your needs and problems, and letting God give you, His solution. Disobedience is costly and insisting on doing things in our own way comes with a high price tag.
“Sometimes God’s greatest judgment is giving us what we want so we can see that it isn’t really what we want. The people were impressed with Saul because of how he looked on the outside, but God saw the heart.”
Wayne Barber
To achieve spiritual success and not live by the world’s standards, we need to practice giving God our first thoughts of the day and commit to live in the plan He has laid out before us. We should attend Bible study with fellow believers regularly and dedicate ourselves to read and obey the Bible. Continually consult the Lord before every decision and honor Christ by giving Him the first place in our hearts
Prayer points:
Thank You Almighty God for Your love and blessings.
I humble myself to You and Your perfect ways.
Help me to not waste my life and follow only You.
I choose to refuse the world system and obey Your truth.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask for Your forgiveness for sometimes wanting my own way and ignoring Your way. I humble myself before You and realize that the world’s standards should not be mine because they only work against Your plans for my life. Thank You for Your forgiveness and unending love.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Walk in truth,
Pamela Hoeben